"I also have a life-saving mortar with which we might be able to
throw a line over the summit of the cliffs; but this plan would
necessitate one of us climbing to the top with the chances more
than even that the line would cut at the summit, or the hooks at
the upper end would slip.
"My third plan seems to me the most feasible. You all saw a number
of large, heavy boxes lowered into the hold before we sailed. I
know you did, because you asked me what they contained and commented
upon the large letter 'H' which was painted upon each box. These
boxes contain the various parts of a hydro-aeroplane. I purpose
assembling this upon the strip of beach described in Bowen's
manuscript--the beach where he found the dead body of the apelike
man--provided there is sufficient space above high water; otherwise
we shall have to assemble it on deck and lower it over the side.
After it is assembled, I shall carry tackle and ropes to the
cliff-top, and then it will be comparatively simple to hoist the
search-party and its supplies in safety. Or I can make a sufficient
number of trips to land the entire party in the valley beyond the
barrier; all will depend, of course, upon what my first reconnaissance
reveals."
That afternoon we steamed slowly along the face of Caprona's towering
barrier.
"You see now," remarked Billings as we craned our necks to scan the
summit thousands of feet above us, "how futile it would have been
to waste our time in working out details of a plan to surmount those.
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